Composite metal and wood chair back



J. 5. BURDICK 2,602,493

ccmposns METAL AND woon CHAIR BACK July 8, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1950 Fm ww July 8, 1952 J. s. BURDICK COMPOSITE METAL AND woon CHAIR BACK 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Sept. 26, 1950 ZZQ'GILZUT 2/21 fiu diw M M @444 figures:

Patented July 8, 1952' E OFFICE I BACK V JohnUS. fiurd'ick, North MuskegonfMich as-' 5 signor to The Shaw-Walker Company, Musk egon,jMic h., a corporation of Michigan Application September 26, 1950, Serial No. 186,811

This invention relates to improvements .in chairs, and more particularly to chairs having certain parts made of tubular metal and other parts made of Wood orsimilar material.

The principal object of the invention-is toprovide a simple, sturdy and durable construction of the kind above mentioned, which is comforta-f ble and especially attractive in appearance; light in Weight and economical in'cost of manufacture. A further objectis to provide an improved, simple and efficient meansror' connecting the Wood parts to the tubular metal parts; 1

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom time to time as the following description proceeds. i

The invention'may best be understood byreference to the accompanying drawing, in which like numerals apply to like parts in each of the "Figure 1 is a top 'plan view for: a chair con-v struction in accordance with 'myinvention; i Figure 2 is a front view'of thechair shown in Figure l, with the chair seat-removed; 1 Figure '3 is a side view of the chair, with the seatin-place; i Y l Figure 4 is an enlarged section. taken. on line 4-4 ofFigure2;L

Figure 5 is a section taken on line. of'Fi ure 4'; I s.

I Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section; taken on line 6-6 ofFigure 2, showing a form or sup--v portfor the upper ends of the back splats;

Figure '7 is a detail section taken on line 'i--'i of Figure 6; v I

Figure 8 is a detail section showing a modified form'of support for the upper ends of the back 513131139; Ijf. 1

Figure 9- is a detail sectionof another modified form of supportfor the upper "ends of the back splats; I Figure 10 is a longitudinal section taken" on line Ill-10 of Figure 9; Figure ii is a detail section showing another modified form of support -for the upper endsiof the back splats; a 3

Figure -l2 is a detail view of another form of support for the back-splats, somewhat similarto the modified form-of Figurel ly v Figure 13 isla 'detail'isection f th op ra of the back frame showing still another modified iorm'off'support for the upper ends of the back splats;

Figure 14 is afragmentary detail perspective view of the top rail, looking from beneath the same, showing a part of the structure of the modified formof back splat support of Figure '13; Figure 15 isa fragmentary detail perspective view of a cover plate forming part of the modifled form of back splat support shown in Figures 1 3 and 14; 1

Figure 1 6 is a detail section showing another form of back splat supportf Figure 17 -is=a section taken on line l1-l7 of Figure 16. V

Referring now to details of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, the chair shown is of the general type commonly referred to as visitors chairs, including-as its principal elements a back frame lla seat -H, frontlegs J2, l2; rear legs '13, I3 and-arm rests 14, M. The' back frame includes a top rail I5 and upright side rails 16, I6, filled in'by aback splat unit indicated generally at IT including a plurality of upright splats l8 secured'att-heir upper ends to the top rail 15 and at their lower ends to a cross bar IS.' The .rear legs 13 are prolong ationsbf the side rails it of thebackfraineifl;

-The s'eat 1-! consists of an open frame 20- made of channel metal construction, on which is mounted a suitable'seat member, herein comprising a wooden seat member 2| having its lower margin restingpn inwardly turned upper flanged side's of the seat frame 20. Its top surface may be suitably-s 'haped, as usual, to conform to-the body of-the-occupant,

Theba ckframe I0 is preferably made of drawn tubular mtal construction of generally rectangular' cross section. The front legs l-2, back splat unit I-i*anduarin rests i i are madeof woodor sim'ilar solid material-which, with the wooden seat nrernber fil, lends-contrast with the metallic parts, to improve the appearance of the chair. Also, the chair is designed to avoid any bodily discomfort'of the occupant by contact with metal parts whichtend to give achilling sensation at relatively 1 low temperatur'es.

whichfor conveniencewill be described in'de'tail as applied to the first-named connection between the cross bar'l'fi and rail It, as 'shown'inFigures. 4 and 5,

An L-shaped bracket 65 has one leg 66 adapted to be attached by screws 61 to the under face of the cross bar l9 adjacent its end, and a second leg for connecting the 68 adapted to be inserted through a restricted slot 69 formed in the adjacent side wall of the side rail. The slot need only be of sufficient dimensions to permit the leg 68 to be inserted therethrough. The latter leg is then positioned fiatwise against the inner face of the adjacent side wall, on the interior of the side rail (see Figure 5). A screw I0 is then passed through said second leg 68 and the adjacent face of the side rail and secured by screwing into the abutting end of the cross bar l9. Access to the screw on the interior of the rail is afforded through a registering hole H formed in the outer face of the rail, which hole is normally closed as by a plate 13 with spring retaining prongs 72 on its rear face for holding it in place in said hole.

As will be seen in Figure 5, the lower portion of the leg 68 may preferably be offset or bowed outwardly where it joins the lower leg 66 so as to aid in the insertion of the leg 68 in the restricted slot 69 during the assembly of the parts. It will be understood of course that the preferred procedure of assembly is to insert the leg 68 through the slot 69 first; then engage the leg 68 flatwise in proper position against the inner surface of the wall of the tubular member l6 and apply the screw 10 to the parts, as shown in Figure 4, and finally apply the leg 66 to the under face of the cross bar If! by screws Bl.

Referring to the means for mounting the upper ends of the back splats in the top rail l5, one form is shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7, wherein each splat I8 is inserted through an aperture 80 in. the under face of the rail. The upper end of the splat is engaged by spring means mounted within the tubular rail so as to urge said splat toward one lip of the aperture 80. In the form shown in these figures, the spring means comprises a flat or leaf spring 8|, bent into generally 8 shape, with its upper end normally engaged in the upper rear corner of the tubular rail, andits lower end engaged in or adjacent the opposite front lower, corner of the tube. When the splat is inserted into place against the tension of the spring, the splat tends to be forced rearwardly so as to beheld against the rear lip of the aperture 80. The tension on the spring 8| may be such as to. hold the splat against undesirable movements.

In the modified form of splat retaining means shown in Figure 8, the spring 8Ia is similar to that shown in Figures 6 and 7, excepting that it is in reversed position in the tubular rail, and tends to hold the splat under tension against the front lip of the aperture 80. In this case, the arrangement affords a slight rearward yielding movement of the splat when pressure is exerted thereon by the back of the occupant.

Figures9 and 10 show another form of splat retaining means wherein the front and rear lips 83 and 84 of the receiving aperture are each bent upwardly in generally parallel relation and are spaced apart so as to receive the splat under slight yielding tension.

The modified forms shown in Figures 11 and 12 are somewhat similar to those shown in Figures 6 and 8, respectively, excepting that the leaf springs 85 and 86 are each generally of the shape of the numeral 6, and are arranged with their doubled spring portions in mutually reversed positions at the front and rear, respectively, of the splat.

sweats Figures 13, 14 and 15 show still another form of splat retainin means, which is similar in principle to the form shown in Figures 9 and 10, excepting that in this case the opposed yielding lips 81, 88 are formedon a separate plate 89 which is suitably fixed to the under face of the top rail l5, with the several lips 81, 88 projecting into an elongated slot 90 formed along the bottom of top rail I5.

Figures 16 and 17 show another variant of splat retaining means, wherein a coil spring 92 is mounted along one corner, herein the front upper corner, of the interior of the tubular rail, in position to be partially compressed when the splat is inserted in said rail, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 16.

Although I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, as applied to a back rest made up of back splats, and a horizontal cross bar, it will be understood that the same connecting means between the back rest and the chair frame can equally well be employed with other types of back rest means such as wood, metal, plastic or upholstered back rest units including spaced, vertical or horizontal frame members connected to the metal chair frame. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to r the exact constructions shown and described, but

that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Iclaim:

In a composite metal and wood furniture structure, a tubular metal frame member and a wooden member adapted to be connected to said frame member in generally endwise abutting relation, said tubular frame having a slot-like aperture therein and a metal bracket bent in angular form, with one generally fiat leg adaptedto be passed through said slot-like aperture in the wall of said tubular frame and swung into engagement flatwise, against the inner face of said frame member with another leg of said bracket extending from said aperture and secured along one side of said wooden member, screw means passa ing through said first-named leg, the wall of said tubular member and into the abutting end of said wooden member, said tubular member also having an aperture in the wall opposite said slotted aperture to afford access to said screw means.

JOHN s. BURDICK;

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Oct, 1 ,1943 

